Snap Inc. (SNAP) stock forecast and price target

Stocks were mostly lower on Wednesday morning amid mixed earnings reports from major companies and new housing market data. The Commerce Department said that U.S. new home sales rose 12.3% to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 759,000 units in September, well above the Reuters consensus forecast of 680,000. On the earnings front, Alphabet posted above-consensus 3Q results, though the shares dropped 9% on concerns about weakness in the company's cloud business. On the positive side, Microsoft shares rose 3% after the company reported strong fiscal 1Q sales and earnings, helped by growth in cloud computing. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P fell 0.8%, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.5%. Crude oil fell slightly to $83.50 per barrel, while gold traded near $1987 per ounce.

In this edition, a look at specialty contractors; renewable energy growth still outpacing expectations; digital ads and ad-tech stocks rebound; and Okta, Arm Holdings, and Regions Financial.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Stocks rose on Thursday morning, led by strong gains in the Communication Services, Consumer Discretionary, and Technology sectors after a wide range of earnings reports. The gains came a day after an expected 25-basis-point rate hike by the Federal Reserve. Fed Chair Jerome Powell also said that an additional rate hike was possible in September. The Dow rose 0.1%, the S&P 0.5%, and the Nasdaq 1.1%. Crude oil rose nearly 2% to $80 per barrel, while gold fell sharply to $1945 per ounce.

Monday Tee Up: The Fed, Jobs, Earnings

Strong Start: Our Monthly Survey of the Economy, Interest Rates, and Stocks

Stocks slumped throughout 2022, as the S&P 500 entered a bear market in June and closed 19% lower for the year. Value stocks generally outperformed during the year, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 9% while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 33%. The leading sectors were value-oriented, such as Energy, Utilities, Consumer Staples, and Financial Services. The average stock in the Argus Universe of Coverage declined 13% during the year, and the median stock declined 15%. The average BUY-rated stock dropped 11%, while the average HOLD-rated stock fell 17%. Will investors continue to favor value in 2023? Will high inflation drive continued outperformance in Energy?

With earnings season under way, corporate insiders mostly have moved to the sidelines as a result of trading restrictions now in force. In reviewing the current insider-trading data from Vickers Stock Research, we note that transaction volume is predictably low, with about 740 insider transactions meeting the criteria for inclusion in the current Weekly Insider Report. When insiders are not restricted, weekly transaction volume can be close to 2000.

Stocks were mixed on Monday morning at the start of another busy week for earnings, which will include reports from Alphabet, Microsoft, Pfizer, and Exxon. Investors will also see another Fed interest rate hike along with economic commentary on Wednesday. A 75-basis-point increase is widely expected. As of midday on Monday, the Dow rose 0.3%, the S&P was flat, and the Nasdaq fell 0.4%. Crude oil rose slightly to $95 per barrel, while gold fell $11 to $1716 per ounce.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Stocks have struggled in 2Q 2022, with the S&P 500 on its way to a double-digit drop for the period. Absent the rally in recent days, the decline would be closer to 20%. Growth stocks have again been the weakest performers, as sectors such as Technology, Communication Services, and Consumer Discretionary all have lagged the major market indices. The leading sectors were value-oriented, including Energy, Consumer Staples, Basic Materials, and Utilities. The average stock in the Argus Universe of Coverage has declined 13.1% thus far during the quarter, and the median stock declined 12.5%. The average BUY-rated stock dropped 12.6%, while the average HOLD-rated stock fell 14.4%. Will investors continue to favor value in 2022? Will high inflation drive continued outperformance in Energy and Basic Materials? Given interest rates that remain historically low, we expect growth stocks to resume outperformance over time, and think 2022 may be a "one-in-five year" that value leads. Investors seeking value are encouraged to focus on dividends and look for yields in the 3%-4% range. Concerning sectors, our current Over-Weights are Energy, Financial, Healthcare, Industrials, and Basic Materials. Here are the top-10 and bottom-five performers from the Argus Universe in 2Q.

Stocks fell sharply on Friday morning, a day after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that a 50-basis-point rate hike would be 'on the table' in May. The comments contributed to a sharp afternoon selloff on Thursday. On the earnings front, American Express shares fell despite stronger-than-expected 1Q earnings, as the company did not raise its full-year guidance. Verizon shares also fell after the company said that 2022 earnings would come in toward the low end of its previous guidance range. The Dow fell 1.4%, the S&P 1.2%, and the Nasdaq 0.8%. Crude oil fell to $102 per barrel, while gold traded near $1929 per ounce.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Stocks traded higher on Tuesday morning after reversing early losses. Pfizer shares fell 4% after the company projected lower-than-expected full-year sales of its COVID vaccine and antiviral pills. Peloton, which has been the subject of buyout speculation, jumped 29% after announcing a CEO change as well as significant job cuts. The Dow rose 0.9%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 1.0%. Crude oil fell to $89 per barrel, while gold rose $5 to $1827 per ounce.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Vickers Stock Research, a subsidiary of Argus Research Group, tracks and analyzes insider trading and institutional ownership trends. Form 13-Fs are due 45 days after the end of calendar quarters, and have now come in from 2Q21. We like to review the 13Fs of the major activist investors, including Carl Icahn, Trian Fund Management, Jana Partners, and ValueAct Holdings, among others. Activist investing has evolved in recent years and is now less about generating a short-term return on an underpriced stock and more about achieving long-term returns through an active management/investor partnership. Here are some recent new purchases and key holdings of activist investors, according to Vickers.

Stocks were mixed on Friday morning following earnings from American Express, Intel, and other major companies. Amex rose nearly 5% following much better than expected third-quarter results, driven by strong consumer spending, while Intel dropped more than 10% after the company posted disappointing 3Q sales and warned of lower profit margins due to the introduction of new chips. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.7%. Crude oil traded near $83 per barrel, while gold rose $33 to $1815 per ounce.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Stocks tried to carry last Thursday's strength into Friday, but instead investors were treated to a mixed market, with the DJIA and S&P 500 inching up while the Nasdaq dipped. After several straight down weeks, stocks did rise broadly for the week, with the DJIA and S&P 500 both gaining about half a percentage point while the Nasdaq was little changed.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

The stock market moved higher last week as the market digested a busy earnings week. Tech stocks outperformed blue chips as earnings came in very strong in portions of the tech sector. During Friday's session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 238 points, or 0.68%. The S&P 500 was up 1.01%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 1.04%. For the week, the DJIA was up 374 points, or 1.08%, the S&P 500 was up 1.96%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 2.84%. Year-to-date, the DJIA is up 14.56%, the S&P 500 is up 17.46%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 15.12%.

In a week that began with somber discussions of an overdue correction, stocks wobbled -- and then used "buy the dip" momentum to race to new all-time highs. Although stocks suffered a drubbing on Monday, with the benchmark S&P 500 down 1.6% for the session, they clawed back on Tuesday through Thursday and then staged a big-finish Friday.

The stock market moved higher last week as the market digested a busy earnings week. Tech stocks outperformed blue chips as earnings came in very strong in portions of the tech sector. During Friday's session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 238 points, or 0.68%. The S&P 500 was up 1.01%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 1.04%. For the week, the DJIA was up 374 points, or 1.08%, the S&P 500 was up 1.96%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 2.84%. Year-to-date, the DJIA is up 14.56%, the S&P 500 is up 17.46%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 15.12%.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

The 10-year Treasury yield continues to move sideways, but is down near the bottom of the recent range, after an extremely steep climb early this year. Yields hit 1.76% on March 30, and were down to 1.49% on Wednesday. That is the lowest close since March 3, but not the lowest intraday yield (which was 1.47 on May 7). While we have seen quite a large percentage move off the bottom, rates remain near historic lows.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Monday was yet another strange day. But maybe we should start calling these days normal, as they have happened many times since November. The Dow Industrials finished flat, while the Nasdaq and the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) got clocked by 2.6%. Small-caps were also hit hard, with the Russell 2000 (IWM) falling 2.6%. The S&P 500 declined 1% and the S&P Mid-Cap 400 fell 1.2%. For most of the day, market breadth was not bad and finished at -1,084, which is not horrible.

Stocks rose on Friday morning amid strong manufacturing and housing market data. The rally followed a Thursday afternoon selloff prompted by the Biden administration's plan for increased capital gains taxes on high earners with incomes above $1 million. IHS Markit said that its manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 60.6 in the first half of April, up from a final reading of 59.1 in March and slightly above the consensus forecast. On the housing front, the Commerce Department said that U.S. new home sales rose 20.7% to an annualized 1.021 million units in March, above the consensus of 886,000. The Dow rose 0.5%, the S&P 0.9%, and the Nasdaq 1.3%. Crude oil traded near $62 per barrel, while gold fell $6 to $1776 per ounce.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

We've seen a bit of life in precious metals over the past week as the U.S. Dollar Index (USD) has pulled back and Treasury yields have also backed off from recent highs. While we believe the greenback and yields have further to run on the upside, the short-term action has put a floor under both gold and silver.

Something unusual happened in the stock market on Monday, and it could have a bullish impact in the months ahead. The market roared ahead -- but it wasn't a growth versus value day, as has been common of late. Instead, the S&P 500 rose 2.4%, the NYSE added 2%, the Dow Jones Industrials improved by 1.9%, both the Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) popped 3%, the S&P 400 Midcap increased 2.8%, and the Russell 2000 (IWM) tacked on 3.6%. Now those are consistent gains!

Vickers Stock Research, a subsidiary of Argus Research Group, tracks and analyzes insider trading and institutional ownership trends. Form 13-Fs are due 45 days after the end of calendar quarters, and are now coming in from 4Q20. We review the 13Fs of the major activist investors, including Carl Icahn, Trian Fund Management, Jana Partners, and ValueAct Holdings, among others. Activist investing has evolved and is now less about generating a short-term return on an underpriced stock and more about achieving long-term returns through an active management/investor partnership. Here are some recent new purchases and key holdings of activist investors, according to Vickers.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Last week, we noted that insider-sentiment data from Vickers Stock Research turned benign after two weeks of intensely bearish readings. During those two dark weeks, the big financial-press headlines (though certainly not the only headlines) focused on the GameStop short squeeze and fears of a broader market meltdown. Trading action saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average fall to a weekly close of 29,982 from 31,097 only a few weeks earlier.

This edition features an overvalued tech sector; the capitol riot; fast fashion; and notes from Intel, Veolia, and Aphria.

Although the year has barely begun, 2021 seems packed with events, including the continued worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgia run-off election that swung the Senate Democratic, and the 1/6/21 event in the Capitol Building (with promised further disruptions to the transfer of power). Much as they were able to sidestep the worst moments of the pandemic and economic shutdown, stocks have mainly ignored the unprecedented political disruption.

We recently discussed the 2020 returns of indices as well as the 11 S&P 500 sectors. In no surprise, Technology, Consumer Discretionary and Communications Services dominated, while Energy (XLE), Real Estate and Financials (XLF) brought up the rear.

The Portfolio Selector features the Argus Focus List, a group of 30 "best idea" stocks generated and regularly updated by Argus' analysts and investment policy committee. It also includes the director of research’s monthly investment strategy column, stock recommendations and sector picks, economic forecasts, and an asset allocation model. This month, the Focus List additions are Trane Technologies plc (TT); Linde Plc (LIN); Western Digital Corp. (WDC); Peloton Interactive Inc (PTON) and the Focus List deletions are PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG); Roper Technologies Inc (ROP); Snap Inc (SNAP); TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX).

The S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 and Russell 2000 (IWM) each hit all-time highs (ATHs) last week, joined by the Nasdaq Composite and the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ). Gains for the week were consistently around the 2% area.

The Technology sector has led the market recovery from the COVID-19 depths of March 2020. Through November 20, the sector was up 31% for the year, compared to a 10% gain for the S&P 500. The Tech sector is the largest in the U.S. market and now accounts for more than 27% of the S&P 500. Over the long term, we expect the Tech sector to benefit from pervasive digitization across the economy, greater acceptance of transformative technologies, and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT): Healthy company and sector fundamentals are also positive. For individual companies, these include high cash levels, low debt, and broad international business exposure. We have an Over-Weight ranking on the Tech sector and think investors should look to allocate up to 30% of their diversified portfolios to the group. Here is how we use our Tech sector ideas from our analysts in our Focus List and Model Portfolios.

This edition features digital ad spending outlook; pandemic's impact on payments industry; chipmakers; and notes from Boeing, Amazon, and Curaleaf.

We don't often talk about misused and commonly misunderstood indicators. But when we do, we like the Volatility Index (VIX). The VIX is a real-time index that represents the market's expectation of 30-day forward-looking volatility. It is derived from the price inputs of the S&P 500 index options and provides a measure of market risk and sentiment.

A few days ago, we said it was remarkable that we have not seen more volatility in the financial markets. Right on cue, we had fireworks. The stock market regained some ground Thursday after a shellacking on Wednesday, and the major indices remain above key short-term chart support from their respective September low. Gold and silver were weak early in the day, but recovered intraday. GLD came very close to testing its September low at $173.77, while SLV approached its previous low at $20.45.